Saturday and Sunday: Bus shuttles replace Blue Line between 23rd and Vernon stations

Bus shuttles will replace Blue Line trainsbetween 23rd/LATTC/Ortho Inst and Vernon Station this Saturday from open to close of service, and Sunday through 6 p.m. During this time, Grand/LATTC, San Pedro St and Washington stations will be closed. Crews will be wrapping up refurbishment work at the stations, including new canopies, tile, paint and audio/visual enhancements.

Here’s what you can expect while bus shuttles are in effect: There will be no Blue Line trains between 7th Street/Metro Center and Vernon. This means Blue Line customers must take the Expo Line to travel between 7th St/Metro Center and 23rd/LATTC/Ortho Inst, where they can connect to bus shuttles serving Grand/LATTC, San Pedro St, Washington and Vernon Station. Express bus shuttles will be in place for customers requiring direct travel between 23rd/LATTC/Ortho Inst and Vernon, in addition to the regular “local” bus shuttles that will serve each station between Grand/LATTC and Vernon.

Trains originating in Downtown Long Beach Station will travel only as far north as Vernon Station. For some customers, using a combination of the Metro Green and Silver Lines may make for a faster route between Downtown L.A. and South L.A./Long Beach.

Metro Blue and Expo Line will operate at the following service levels:

This Friday evening, there will be NO Blue Line station closures or bus shuttles. Both Blue and Expo Line trains will follow their regular schedules.

On Saturday, Blue Line will run every 12 minutes between Vernon and Downtown Long Beach Station, and Expo Line will operate every 10 minutes throughout the day.

On Sunday, Blue Line will run every 12 minutes between Vernon and Downtown Long Beach until 6 p.m. After 6 p.m., trains will continue to arrive every 12 minutes, but will serve the entire Blue Line from end to end, including Grand/LATTC, San Pedro St and Washington Station. Expo Line will operate every 10 minutes from open to close of service.

Please note that due to the dynamic nature of construction, the schedule may be subject to work-related delays.

Many are already aware that adjustments to Blue Line service this year have been, and will continue to be, necessary for the completion of the Blue Line Upgrades project, a $1.2-billion overhaul including station improvements, track replacement/refurbishment, and even, eventually, new rail cars. Many of the upgrades have already been completed at stations between Vernon and the Long Beach Loop.

Project completion is on the horizon and ahead of schedule. Work was initially estimated to last until August, but is now on-track to finish in mid-July.

That being said, Metro recognizes that these service changes can be a nuisance, and would like to say thank you to all affected customers. Please check back here at The Source, or follow us @metrolosangeles or @metrolaalerts for the latest Blue Line service updates.